My Bestie...

Do you have a bestie? (not to be confused with beastie)  I hope you do, they're good to keep around. 

I've known mine for nearly 19 years, although sometimes we have gone months if not years without seeing each other.  This was mostly my fault, I'm a wanderer, I have an exceptionally hard time staying in one place.  That said, now that I've been in the 'Burgh for going on 3 years I'm already planning on where I want to end up next.  But that's a story for another day...

Hot

The heat wave has definitely reached Pittsburgh.  Today the heat index was 104 degrees - that's hot!!!  My watermelon plants are loving the heat, but as for my other plants - not so much.  At least work is looking out for me (sort of...), when I had deliveries farther than a block or two away, they made sure I took a bottle of water with me. 

Now if you excuse me, Ellie and I are going to go crash on my bed and soak up the A/C only available in that room.

Those Wascally Wabbits!

Something ate my zucchini plant!!! Ok, it ate the top leaves off my zucchini plant, but still!

What the heck?!?  Any idea what could have eaten it?  I know it's not deer, there's none in my neighborhood and even if there were, there would be no way for them to get in my yard.  I've seen a groundhog in my neighbor's yard before, and other than that just some stray cats.  It's just strange that it was only the top leaves that got eaten, and that whatever it was didn't eat the melon plants or the cucumbers or the beans or the tomatoes!

When I happened upon this travesty, I rescued the lone zucchini left on the plant (I had already harvested one), and decided to honor the memory of my once mighty zucchini the only way I knew possible.  I did what any health minded individual would do - I sliced it up, coated it in egg and bread crumbs, and deep fried it.  Yum.  I would show you what it looked like, but I ate it before I thought of that.  It was delicious.

Speaking of groundhogs, did I mention I met Punxsutawney Phil? I did.  He came to work in the Phil-mobile.  The Inner Circle came too.  They wore top hats. 

Let's see...

I promised you canning pictures, didn't I?

Here you go, the cucumbers are from my first batch of pickles (I still haven't gotten around to the second batch yet) and the jars are Pineapple - Chinese 5-Spice jam:

Later I'll fill you in on the huge project I'm working on for work.  Until next time...

Canning Day!

Leave it to me to pick a gorgeous sunny nearly 90 degree day to do my canning.  Unfortunately it couldn't have waited any longer, with the fruit and veggies dictating when I should can as opposed to me picking a day which works better for me. 

So what am I canning?  Let's see... Pineapple Jam with Chinese Five-Spice, Mango Jam with Lime, and Quickest Kosher Dills.  These are all from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff - I LOVE this book!  Prior to this year I had absolutely no canning experience, this book has changed that, it's that good of a book.  I also bought the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving which provides some good information about canning safety, but Liana's book has really made me a canner - and I mean that in the best way possible!

Cheesy Chard

Dear Cheesy Chard,

You are amazing.  Yet different.  And I probably wouldn't have made you if I didn't have food to use up in my fridge.  But that said, you still are delicious.

Love,

Me

More Costa Rica!

If Everyone Else Was Jumping Off a Bridge, Would You?

I would! And I did! 9 of us went, 2 were definites, and by the end of the morning all 9 of us had jumped. It was one of the most other worldly experiences....

The view from the bridge - 265 feet above the river

Waiting to get suited up

Terrance eying the drop with trepidation

Suited up and ready to be hooked to the bugee

Hooked up, no turning back now!

Erin having second thoughts while on the platform

Terrance modeling the ankle harnesses

No matter how nervous people were, the reactions coming back up were all the same - elation derived from the adreline rush of falling 225 feet

Brad

Kristin

Jamie

Terrance

Erin